CarFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaFor other types of motorized vehicles, seeMotor vehicle. For other uses, seeCar (disambiguation),Automobile (disambiguation), andCars (disambiguation).Car

Benz "Velo" model (1894) by German inventorCarl Benz entered into anearly automobile raceas amotocycle[1][2]

ClassificationVehicle

IndustryVarious

ApplicationTransportation

Fuel sourceGasoline,Diesel,Electric,Hydrogen,Solar energy

PoweredYes

Self-propelledYes

Wheels34

Axles12

InventorFerdinand Verbiest

Vehicles in use per country from 2001 to 2007. It shows the significant growth inBRIC.

World map of passenger cars per 1000 peopleAcaris a wheeled, self-poweredmotor vehicleused fortransportation. Most definitions of the term specify that cars are designed to run primarily on roads, to have seating for one to eight people, to typically have four wheels, and to be constructed principally for the transport of people rather than goods.[3][4]The year 1886 is regarded as the birth year of the modern car. In that year, German inventorKarl Benzbuilt theBenz Patent-Motorwagen. Cars did not become widely available until the early 20th century. One of the first cars that was accessible to the masses was the 1908Model T, an American car manufactured by theFord Motor Company. Cars were rapidly adopted in the United States of America, where they replacedanimal-drawncarriagesand carts, but took much longer to be accepted in Western Europe and other, less developed, parts of the world.Cars are equipped with controls used for driving, parking, and passenger comfort and safety. New controls have also been added to vehicles, making them more complex. Examples includeair conditioning,navigation systems, andin car entertainment. Most cars in use today are propelled by aninternal combustion engine, fueled bydeflagrationofgasoline(also known as petrol) ordiesel. Both fuels cause air pollution and are also blamed for contributing toclimate changeandglobal warming.[5]Vehicles usingalternative fuelssuch asethanolflexible-fuel vehiclesandnatural gas vehiclesare also gaining popularity in some countries.Road traffic accidents are the largest cause of injury-related deaths worldwide.[6]The costs of car usage, which may include the cost of: acquiring the vehicle, repairs andauto maintenance, fuel,depreciation, driving time,parking fees, taxes, and insurance,[7]are weighed against the cost of the alternatives, and the value of the benefits perceived and real of vehicle usage. The benefits may include on-demand transportation, mobility, independence and convenience.[8]The costs to society of encompassing car use, which may include those of:maintaining roads,land use, pollution,public health, health care, and of disposing of the vehicle at the end of its life, can be balanced against the value of the benefits to society that car use generates. The societal benefits may include: economy benefits, such as job and wealth creation, of car production and maintenance, transportation provision, society wellbeing derived from leisure and travel opportunities, and revenue generation from thetaxopportunities. The ability for humans to move flexibly from place to place has far-reaching implications for the nature of societies.[9]The termmotorcarhas formerly also been used in the context of electrified rail systems to denote a car which functions as a small locomotive but also provides space for passengers and baggage. These locomotive cars were often used on suburban routes by both interurban and intercity railroad systems.[10]